Chapter 13
(......Claire is so quiet. It's not that she's naturally like that, it just feels like she's not in the mood to chat with me.)
After lightly preparing, Yuurai left town with Claire. Then they descended to the first basement level of the Dungeon of Darkness, but even when Yuurai talked to Claire, she only responded with things like 'Hm' or 'Yeah.' She would answer questions, but didn't react much to small talk.
It was good that Claire had come back to life, but unfortunately, it didn't seem like they had grown closer.
(Just sleeping next to her wasn't going to deepen our bond. Well, of course. It's not like I'm some desperate duty-driven guy who wants to get close to girls—let's take it slow.)
Setting Claire aside, the Monsters in the Dungeon of Darkness showed no interest in either Yuurai or Claire. Even when encountered, they passed by as if they had spotted fellow Monsters.
"Hey, Claire. Normally, it's correct to assume that Monsters attack humans, right?"
"That's right."
"Then, the reason we're not being attacked is because both you and I are being mistaken for fellow Monsters?"
"I think so."
"If we attacked a Monster, would they then attack us?"
"Who knows......"
"Mind if I try?"
"Do as you like."
"Got it."
Yuurai cast Pain Infliction (Pain) at a Black Goblin she happened to spot.
"Gugya!?"
The Black Goblin coughed up blood and collapsed. It didn't seem to be dead, but it no longer had the will to get up.
"......Hmm, this magic doesn't seem to kill, but the power was still too much......"
Pitying its twitching, near-death state, Yuurai severed its head with Blade of Darkness. The Monster vanished into black mist, leaving behind a reddish-black stone.
"Ah, so Monsters disappear when they die......"
For Yuurai, this was the first time killing a Monster inside a Dungeon. She found it strange—something unthinkable on Earth.
"......Not all Monsters turn into mist and vanish. Surface Monsters don't disappear when they die and leave behind materials and such. Dungeon Monsters vanish into black mist and leave behind a Magic Stone. Magic Stones can be processed and used to make Magical Tools. However, the Magic Stones obtained on this floor aren't worth much."
"Huh, I see. Thanks for explaining, Claire."
"It's nothing......"
At Claire's curt tone and attitude, Yuurai could only smile wryly.
(Is she a tsundere? Cold on the outside but actually kind?)
"By the way, Claire, do you know your own status? Like combat power and magical energy?"
"I do."
"Oh, good. So I'm not the only one who can see it. Can you tell me your status?"
Claire showed a moment of hesitation.
Yuurai sensed that status info wasn't something easily shared with others.
"......If it's an order."
(It's not like I want to order her...... Maybe Claire has her own boundaries. Still, I do want to know other people's status, so it can't be helped.)
"......Then, let's say it's an order."
"Alright. Then I'll tell you."
According to what Claire disclosed—
Name: Claire
Race: Undead Human
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Level: 47
Combat Power: 30,200
Magical Energy: 35,000
Skills: Swordsmanship Lv.6, Physical Enhancement Lv.5, Fire Magic (Dark) Lv.6, Wind Magic (Dark) Lv.4, Dark Magic Lv.1
Titles: Servant of the Witch, Rebel
"I can kind of guess, but things like having 'Dark' after the elemental magic, or learning Dark Magic—did that happen after becoming Undead?"
"Yes."
"Thought so. We'll go into the details later...... So, how strong are you compared to other humans?"
"I'm Class Two."
"......How many classes are there?"
"From Class One to Class Seven. Class One is the strongest."
"What's the combat power range for Class One and Class Two?"
"Class Two ranges from 30,000 to 100,000. Class One is over 100,000."
"Class Two has a pretty wide range, huh."
"It's not that it's wide—Class One is just in a league of its own. It's said that surpassing 100,000 requires overcoming a massive wall, and there are only about twenty Class One humans in the world. Most Class Two combat power falls between 30,000 and 50,000. Those between 50,000 and 100,000 are sometimes called quasi-Class One."
"Huh......"
(By that standard, with my combat power in the 80,000s, I'm quasi-Class One......)
"My combat power is around 80,000. Is that considered high?"
"......It is. Very few humans could beat you."
"Also, my magical energy is around 900,000. Is that a lot?"
Claire widened her eyes.
"......Put simply, you've far exceeded the range humans can normally reach."
"......I see. My combat power and magical energy are really far apart—is that normal?"
"It's not. Such a large gap is rare."
"What's the basis for combat power, anyway?"
"I don't know the details. But it's said that the maximum power of your attacks has a big influence."
"Then, if someone has really high defense but low attack, their combat power would come out low?"
"Yes."
"I see......"
"......In your case, your maximum attack power is still barely within the realm of common sense, but your magical stamina far exceeds that of humanity...... That's how I'd put it."
"So I'd be good in a long battle?"
"Yes. Or in fighting many opponents alone."
"I see......"
(I kind of get the situation. But I still can't really feel it. I probably need more real combat experience. There's still a lot I want to ask, but......)
"By the way, I somehow ended up with a name besides Yuurai—what's that about? Claire, do you know?"
A mysterious name: Filanzer. It must have some meaning, but there was no mention of it in any of the books she had read.
"So you have another name besides your original one?"
"Yeah, I do."
Claire widened her eyes again.
"For a Monster to have an individual name...... That's a sign of being an enemy of the world—or of God. It's said that such names are granted along with the title of Demon King."
"......I see."
(So I've been marked by God?)
"What kind of being is God in the first place? Do they actually exist?"
"I think they do. But only people with special skills can communicate with them. Most, including myself, have never heard their voice. Sometimes, they guide people on the surface—that's what God does. But they never appear on the surface to act directly. Honestly, no one really knows what they're thinking."
"I see...... So I've been designated an enemy by someone we don't even understand. Great, this is going to be a pain."
While chatting, they encountered three more Black Goblins.
Yuurai swiftly killed one with Blade of Darkness. The Goblins recognized Yuurai as an enemy and attacked.
She cut off the heads of the other two with Blade of Darkness as well.
Three Magic Stones were left on the ground.
"What happens if you eat one of these Magic Stones?"
"A human would get an upset stomach."
"What about a Monster?"
"I don't know."
(In stories like this, it's usually fine for Monsters to eat them, right?)
"Guess I'll try eating one."
"......Go right ahead."
"If I collapse, carry me back."
"......If that's an order."
"Yup. Let's say it is."
Yuurai tried eating the Magic Stone.
The taste was a bit spicy, but it wasn't bad or unpleasant.
After chewing and swallowing it, she felt a slight warmth spread through her body.
"......It doesn't seem like it'll upset my stomach, but I also can't tell if there's any benefit. Maybe something would change if I ate a Magic Stone from a stronger Monster."
"I see......"
"If I'm okay, why don't you try one too, Claire? I think you could handle it now."
"......Is it tasty?"
"It's a little spicy."
"......I think I'll pass."
"Not good with spicy stuff?"
"Well, yeah."
"Do you like sweet things?"
"Well, yeah."
"I see. Then, how about we go to the Castle Town tomorrow and look for something like that?"
"......If that's an order."
"Let's say it is."
"Got it."
They continued exploring the Dungeon together.
There was hardly any tension, but since no Monsters attacked, they could take it easy.
After making a round through the first basement floor, they realized there was nothing of interest and returned to the entrance for now.
From there, they stepped onto the Teleportation Magic Circle and headed to the sixth basement floor.
Apparently, this Magic Circle allows free travel to any floor one has previously visited. Normally, you can access more floors by defeating each floor's boss, but since Yuurai was born on the sixth basement floor, she could skip from the second to the fifth.
Once they arrived on the sixth basement floor, the two of them wandered through the Dungeon again for a while.
(I was born here...... And I found Eleanore's body here......)
As Yuurai walked, reminiscing about that time, a scream rang out from somewhere.